Method of laying out sheet-metal structures



Jan. 6, 3931. H. E. WHITE METHOD OF LAYING OUT SHEET METAL STRUCTURES Filed Sept 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l gmemtov Jan. 6, 1931 H. E. WHITE METHOD OF LAYING OUT SHEET METAL STRUCTURES Filed Sept. 15

, 19.29 12 Shams-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES nnnana'r a. warm, or emvnmnn, onro, nssr'enoa To ritusco'n 'srnnnbomrnni.

or cLnvnLANnonIo, A oonronarxon ormcnreair F mrrnon or LAYING ou'r snn r nE'rAL' s'rnucruaEs-f I i Application filed September 13,1929. Serial no. sea-,esa i In connection with the formation of articles of sheet metal and particularly those of relatively heavy material and in which openin s must be accuratelyjlocated, considerable di culty is experienced and time and material used in determining the position of these openings in the blanks. So far as I am aware, this determination has only been accomplished by a cut and try method involving in the formation of several blanks and shifting the holes one way or another so as to have them properly positioned in the finished product.

The object of the present invention is to p'ovide a method by which the openings can determined on a master blank with the utmost precision. i

In the accompanying drawings:

Fi re 1 is a plan view of a portion of the blank of the side rail of an automobile with the hole determining chart appearing thereon.

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the same portion after it has been stamped or formed.

Figure 3 is a view of a second blank corresponding to Figure 1 and with the position of the holes properly determined and marked.

Figure 4 is a view of the blank of Figure 3 after it has beenformed.

Figure 5'is' a perspective view of one of the complete side rails.

In the formation of sheet metal structures and particularlywherethey are of irregular shape, it is obvious that when the previously.

cutblank is shaped by the dies the metal is materially distorted and consequently there has been difliculty and loss of time and material in determining where the openings should be made in the blank prior to its formation, so that they will be properly positioned on the completed product.

According to the present method, a number of correspondinglyshaped blanks are produced. Two of these are provided on their faces with corresponding charts.

Figures 1 and 3 two blanks 6 and 6 are employed. Each of these has placed on its face, a chart constituted of crossed lines designated respectively 7 and 7. The charts of the two blanks correspond accurately.

The lines may be formed in any manner and dies and' stamped or bent to its final'shape Thus in preferably are as close'as A inia'part. I These:

lines'bea r certain relations to predetermined parts of the blanks. Thus 'in'the present eme bodiment the blanks have openings 8and 8", through-which the holdingpins-of the diesel:- tei1dfor-janchoring the blanks during .the

. stamping or forming operation w One'of the blanks as 6' is then placed in the as shown. in Figure 2. I In this transformation, obviously, the bending ofthe .material and the shaping of-the part resultsin a distortion of the face of the sheet. The-chart will obviously be correspondingly distorted. The locations-of the openings desired in the completed article are then laidoutron the member: 6 of Figure 2 and marked thereon, for instance, by center punching-as indicated: 7 "T 5 'flaving-determined the positions of the openings,it is now only necessary to" locate their position'onthe chart 7 and correspond.- i'ngly-markthemby means of the'chart' 7 on the blank 6 0f Figure 3. The openings can f thus-be, accurately determined in the blank fi and in fact in-au other blanks of the same form, so that the openings may now be punched in the blanks, and when the blanks arev formed into the final product as indicated in Figure 4, the openings as 9 will always come in the same location as in the master form of" Figure 2.

In Figure 5 a complete slde rail is illustrated merely to show a complete article, it being understood that Figures 1 and 4 inelusive disclose an enlarged part of the end portion of said rail. It will be also understood that while the specific disclosure is a side rail for automobiles, the invention is not limited to this structural element but is useful in the formation of many sheet metal devices and particularly those of relatively heavy gage and involved form.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advan tages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction 1 may be resortedto withoutdeparting froni the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

atI claim, is: 1 1. The method of determining the location of openings; im -stamped "articleswhich consists inlocating corresponding charts on two blanks of the articles at the places where the holesare to be made, sta inpiiig oneof said blanks toshape, determining on the chart of r the stamped blank, the-location of the openings, and locatingsaid. openings correspon'dingly on the chart of" the unstamped blank. 2. The method of detex min;ing. the-1oea V tion of openings in stamped articles which consists in. forming cox-:re 'spond-i-iw charts of intersecting lines on two -bl'anks-oiithe an ticl'es at the places where 'theholes are to be made,stampingone offsaid blanks to shape, 7 determining: on? the chart: of the. stamped blink, the location of. the: DP g eating said openings correspondingly on the L5 7 chart o frtlie unstamped blank;

3. The method: of. determining'the location of. work. tobe" done'on the blanks of stamped 1 article's prion-to their: stamping andiconseqnent' distortion; which consists in locatin correspondin'grcharts on two blanks 0f the article-to be--stamped,.stamping one of the blanks to shape, determining on the stamped blank and with reference to-the chart thereof, the'proper locati'onof the work that is to :be doneon the blanksprior to their stamping, and locating on the unstamped blankby'meansrof' the corresponding chart thepo sitionzof the work to be done-to cause it to beproperly" positioned on other stamped blanks as shown by the chart of. the stamped v In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature. 1 1 HERBERT E. WHITE. 

